Cool, damp Tuesday; then several pleasant autumn days
The cluster of thunderstorms that cruised across the Twin Cities area with much lightning and small hail very early Tuesday morning were a reminder that the summery half of our year is not quite over.
Of course, it would be nice if the temperatures felt less like November and more like normal October.
Those thunderstorms were along the leading edge of a compact low-pressure system that will dominate Tuesday’s weather.
Cool damp Tuesday
Expect Tuesday to remain a mostly cloudy day. Rain will fall mainly on the northern half of the state and has already begun in parts of the north.
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Heaviest amounts, possibly in excess of half an inch, could fall from Hinckley, north to the Duluth area and northern Wisconsin.
A bit of light snow or a rain/snow mix is possible in the cooler temperatures farther north.
A stiff breeze from the northwest will pick up Tuesday on the backside of that low as it passes by. Wind gusts to 25 or 30 mph hour will become widespread.
Afternoon temperatures will be held down by those winds. Highs are likely to be just from the upper 30s in the north to the mid 40s in the south.
Nicer weather coming
A few days of better weather for your outdoor activities will begin on Wednesday.
Clouds will hang around for Wednesday but winds will be lighter and temperature will nudge up a few degrees. Expect high temperatures Wednesday afternoon mainly in the 40s statewide.
Sunshine!
I am going to set my alarm clock for Thursday. The sun will make an appearance and temperatures will be warmer. Highs should range from the upper 40s in the northeast to the low 60s in the balmy southwest. Most of us will enjoy highs in the 50s.
Even better Friday and Saturday
Friday and Saturday will be dry, mild, lovely October days. High temperatures should range from the mid-50s north to the low 60s farther south. Those highs would be a bit warmer than average.
Iffy Sunday
Sunday remains a bit of a question mark. A significant low-pressure system bearing much rain will track our way from Colorado and should be approaching southwestern Minnesota on Sunday.
Whether it spreads rain across the southern half of Minnesota Sunday afternoon or dawdles until Sunday evening or even Sunday night is yet to be determined.
Cooler again next week
Cooler weather will return beginning next Monday behind the departing low.